The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 05, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 04, 1999
John L Norin, Hawthorne, CA (US);
Andrew B Kopito, Hawthorne, CA (US);
Hughes Electronics Corporation, El Segundo, CA (US);
Abstract
A method of testing in-orbit communications satellite receive antennas from a single ground test station. The ground test station transmits an uplink test signal to the orbiting satellite. Telemetry circuitry onboard the satellite measures the power level of the uplink signal received and converts it to a corresponding digital value. The satellite's position is slewed over angles approximately covering the receive antenna areas of reception. The power level of the received uplink test signal and satellite orientation information are transmitted to the ground test station in the satellite's telemetry data stream. A computer at the ground test station plots the power level with respect to the satellite's corresponding orientation to map the receive antenna pattern. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of receive antennas are tested simultaneously.